Our Lives are Forever Changed
by amoreebellaa
Summary: (LAST PART UP NOW) (3-PART) Eli feels like everything is finally getting better...or on its way with Clare. But when Drew drops by unexpected at Clare's house. Is everything really resolved? Part 1- Eli, Part 2- Drew, Part 3- Clare. NO HATE ON CLEW OR ECLARE. (How I think they should resolve this whole eclew triangle.)
1. Chapter 1

Part 1: Eli's P.O.V (We're Having a Baby, My Baby & Me)

He was tired. For the past two weeks, he had been working extra hours and days lately, ever since he found out he was going to be a father. It was like nothing else mattered to him other than not being a deadbeat dad and earning Clare's trust back…_and love_. No, he reminded himself. This wasn't about them and their relationship right now, because this was about their future and the baby. Not the status of their unending relationship that they both couldn't seem to move on from. He knew she loved him, and he knew she knew he loved her. But right now? That was all in the clouds. He needed to prove he could be in his son's life and not be a total dick head.

"Hey there,"

He looked up to see the face of a smiling Clare Edwards in front of him. He wouldn't like to admit it, but his heart did skip a beat when he saw her. Just like it always has.

"Hey there, Baby Mama!"

He shooked his head as he saw her face waver a bit. She did not like being called that, and truthfully he didn't like it when he called her that either. It just felt too off and uncomfortable.

"Ok, then."

And that was the end of their conversation. She sat down on a booth next to him, and took out her books to begin her homework. She pulled out her headphones and put on her music from her phone. It was still awkward to talk to her, and actually hold a conversation with her that didn't involve the baby. Neither of them knew how to go about it. He had spent a month of ignoring her calls, texts, and her whole appearance. He didn't know how to just go back to suddenly being the closest person to her. He wasn't the closest person to her anymore… that was Alli. For a while there, it was Drew Torres. But she hasn't mentioned him once other than when Alli asked her while they were both here if she had talked to him. A quiet no was all she said about the matter. He never asked her how she told Drew, and how Drew reacted.

He was scared to ask her though, because he knows even with Drew's unwavering patience he was told so much about, that he wouldn't be okay with the idea that the baby he thought was his, wasn't. He looked up at Clare who was currently writing something down in her journal when he noticed it was her personal journal. The one he stole the one that probably still held the Jake portion of her life when she wanted to…

He had to stop thinking like this. Clare has had her fair of relationships, and affairs, but she always came back to him. It was always him in the end, and it would always be her in the end.

"Hey, um…my mom wants to know if you would like to come for dinner tonight after your shift, to know, um…get reacquainted." She was looking up at him with a sad smile as she invited him out. He understood what that meant. That she still wasn't sure about him, or her mother, and wasn't sure how this whole dinner would play out. She was still so easy for him to read when it came to her family.

"I'd like that." Was all I was able to say before the after school rush came in flooding the dot with a whole batch of new and some familiar faces from the halls of Degrassi.

(After his shift) 

"So my mom hasn't been feeling her best lately, so she took up yoga. So if she starts going on about being a yogi. You'll know why. Also Jake is out of town right now with Glen. So it will be just you, me, and her. Glen and my mom haven't been getting along, but not like fighting. More like Glen is always doing his thing without consideration for my Mom. But she's learning…I think."

We were walking down her street; coming up to her house, and it was actually pretty funny at how she had been rambling about her mom since we left the dot. It was closing in on 8:30pm and I knew how her mom hated Clare being tardy for anything at home. But walking with Clare and hearing her talk, it was something I honestly thought would never happen again. It almost felt like we were back in time, to a time where we both we're in a good place and together. No pregnancy, no betrayals or lies. Back when things were good.

"Clare, its fine. I think I know how your mom is by now. I mean I have had dinners there more than I can count now."

I had put my hands on her shoulders to calm her down, and it seemed to work, but then quickly I felt her tense up again.

"Ok, we haven't talked about it…but I feel like I need to tell you what my plans are for this upcoming year."

She looked terrified at what she was going to tell me. The last time we talked about her plans was at school before Drew interrupted us. She was deferring Colombia, and staying here to have the baby.

"What is it?" I knew what she was going to say was going to be a longshot from what I wanted to hear. That she was going to Columbia and we were going to be in New York and be together with the baby. But even I knew that was a far-fetched idea.

"I'm going to Ryerson in the fall. Part time, and I'm looking for some easy jobs, maybe office work, to just have a bit of money ready for when the baby comes after Christmas. And I don't want you to be mad with me. I made this plan after I found out it was your baby, and when I thought I was going to do this alone…"

She was speaking volumes and we had just reached the front steps of her house, before I could say anything. I didn't know what to say about it though. She made her decision about it all and was planning on going it alone. I mentally wanted to kick my own ass. I made Clare feel like nothing and alone in that one conversation we had. All because of my stupid pride was hurt. I had to change for the better, and prove to her that she wasn't going to go through this alone, and that what I said wasn't true.

"I thought I heard you two out here."

Before I could reply to anything she said, her mom was facing down on us in yoga pants and wearing a long sleeve shirt. Clare was right. Her mom went full on yogi.

"Hi, Ms. Edwards,"

I walked up the steps and hugged her mother, who hated me, but sort of became an ally to me when Clare had cancer.

"Hello Elijah. Nice to see you, been awhile. Hasn't it?"

I didn't miss the look she gave Clare, who at the same time pulled her bangs down. I smirked to myself away from Clare and her mom. _So she does like me after all._

"Ok well let's not stand out here in the cold. Let's get inside you two."

Clare and I shared one final glance, and somehow it took me back to the moment when I first came over for dinner. Back when her mom was fighting with her biological dad, and she was using me to make them angry with her instead of at each other. I smiled at the memory a bit. We sat down at the dinner table, and nothing really changed inside the house, other than the people who lived in it. Clare was sitting across from me, where she usually sat, and I looked over to her. Our eyes connected, and in that moment, I knew I was still in love with the girl carrying my baby.

(KNOCK, KNOCK)

"Who could that be?"

Her mom had just finished putting the plates down on the table, and walked over to the door. Clare looked dumbfounded but was easily distracted by the food currently sitting on her plate. I looked at my plate, nothing special, just some chicken parmesan, but to her…it was like candy. Well…she was pregnant.

"Um…Clare, someone is here to see you."

We looked over to the door just in time to see Drew Torres standing by the door. He was in regular jeans and a plain white button up, with a tie. I hid my emotions well, but Clare not so much. Her face was a mixture of happiness and sorrow and a hint of anger.

"What are you doing here?"

In true Clare fashion, she got up and went to Drew, but not without throwing a glance to my direction first. I knew what was coming.

"Can we talk somewhere?"

Drew made brief eye contact with me, before focusing his eyes back on Clare. His face didn't show if he was angry, but it was a face of worry and hurt. Clare stood right in front of him, I wasn't sure what her face said, but I knew that she must've smiled or something. Drew immediately calmed down. I felt like I was witnessing something between the two that I shouldn't have seen.

"Why don't you two talk in Clare's bedroom?"

I looked up at her mom a little too fast. Clare must have made a face to, because she turned her head around.

"Lets's go outside and talk."

Clare spoke once and begins walking out the door with Drew in front of her. She stopped midway and looked up at me.

"Don't worry."

"I always will."

Clare's eyes lighten up a bit, and I almost thought she was going to say something, but she just nodded and walked out the door. I knew this was going to happen, I mean it had to eventually. We never talked more about what had happened between her and Drew, but honestly I couldn't do anything anymore. This was her thing, everything between Drew and I seized because of her. He wasn't going to hurt her by hurting me, and I knew I couldn't hurt Drew any more than I already did.

"Well why don't we catch up? How's NYU?"

I heard her mom speak up, I know Clare said not to worry, but I couldn't pay attention to anything than what was going on outside. But if this was going to work again, I would have to learn to trust her, prove to her I changed. I had to trust that this was all going to work. We both were going to have to work at it again. She's having my baby, she loves me, and I love her… But was that enough now?


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2: Drew's P.O.V (I Hope You Find It)

He sat down on the couch in the student counsel room, after the day he had he deserved to just sit down and be mad. It had been 2 weeks since he found out about the baby not being actually his. He was so angry and he hated knowing that it was actually the one person he said Clare would always go back to. Now she probably told him, and he was most likely all happy to have Clare and the baby for himself, now that he was out of the picture. They were both probably planning their getaway to New York, where they'll go to school, raise the baby, get married, and live the happy little fairytale as a way to put an end to their so epic romance.

Now not only had he lost Adam, at the beginning of the year, he lost Bianca, messed up with Zoe, lost his job to no actual fault of his own, and now he lost one of his best friends and confidant; as well as the unborn baby he thought was his. He lost so much this year, and he just didn't think he could lose anyone else. Then there was Becky…who he stupidly thought he could trust and get back together with after the news of Clare spread of who the actual father is. He tried this past week to rekindle their flame, but it was too late. She could say she didn't have feelings for her stupid emo Christian boy. But she did. It was clear to him, to Dallas, who couldn't wait to point it out, and to everyone after they performed together in the café.

So he broke it off again, but this time it was final. Add her to the list of things he lost and messed up. But it didn't even matter anymore, because now he was also probably going to lose Dallas to Alli; if he decided to follow her across the country. He really hoped he wouldn't, because he still had no clue what he was going to do after graduation. He hadn't really applied for universities, or any jobs that might actually make him something. He was terrified of not having a future, so when he started committing to Clare and the baby. That was almost as close to a future outside of high school that he could see becoming a reality. Then it was just ripped to shreds in the 2 minutes it took Dallas to tell him what Clare wasn't ready to say.

"Ahhh!" He got up off the couch and look around, but his eyes staying on the old dusty orange thing right in front of him. This is where Clare and he first kissed, after Eli cheated and Bianca broke up with him. That's when this whole mess started. But he couldn't regret it. No, the only thing he regretted was sleeping with her. A regret he knew went both ways. But now there were a whole new set of regrets and mistakes. So he did the one thing he knew he had to do, because this avoiding Clare and harboring this anger and sadness inside him wasn't good. No, he was better than that. He saw how Clare reacted to Eli being angry, and he sees how she reacts when they're in the same room together.

He had to go and talk to her. This was it.

(AT CLARES HOUSE)

He had parked outside the house, and hopped out. He walked up to the front steps of the house and knocked. This was it.

"Drew! What a surprise! What brings you here tonight?"

He smiled warmly to Clare's mom, and was honestly a little confused at the fact that her eyes almost popped out of her sockets.

"Yeah…um…is Clare here? I wanted to see if we could, you know, talk?"

"Sure. Um… Clare, someone is here to see you."

He still didn't understand the suspicion in Ms. Edwards's voice or why she didn't just say it was him, but when he walked into the house hallway; his answer was staring back up at him from the dinner table.

"What are you doing here?"

He knew it. He _fucking_ knew it. Eli and she were back together and all was well for them both now. He regretted coming over and thinking he actually had a shot in hell to talk to Clare about maybe being friends again, and trying to help her through this still. He may have had it coming, but you don't easily forgive the guy that punched you in the face. He doesn't know how she keeps forgiving him either.

"Can we talk somewhere?  
>He needed to know once and for all. All these questions surrounding them, their friendship, everything they've been through, and also he needed to hear the words at last.<p>

"Why don't you two talk in Clare's bedroom?"

I saw Eli's head snap up; I even saw the concern and a flick of hesitation in his eyes. I couldn't help it. I had to smile a little at it. He was threatened by me. Then I saw Clare's face, and I realize this wasn't about Eli anymore. He couldn't hurt her and himself anymore. They had to finally put an end to this thing they had going on for the last year.

"Let's go outside and talk."

She said it sweetly and uncertain. But her eyes were pleading with me to go with it. I nodded briefly before smiling back up at Ms. Edwards and walked outside into the night with Clare behind me.

(OUTSIDE)

I waited until I made sure Clare had closed the door behind her and was outside until I turned back to face her. It was weird, because somehow the tension seemed to rise as well as ease. I guess the tension of her mom and Eli were gone, but a whole new one came. I smiled when I saw her eyes gazing at her shoes, her bangs falling over her face. I guess I wasn't the only one nervous about whatever was about to happen. I sighed, I guess it was now.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine,"

I chuckled a little bit. So it was going to be harder than I thought.

"So it seems like you and Eli worked things out. Guess he's glad I'm not the dad, you must be to. Makes sense, you were obviously better without me."

"That's not true."

Clare's face raised and her eyes were prickling with tears, but she didn't let them fall. She had no right to cry, or have tears. I was the one wronged here.

"HOW IS THAT NOT TRUE?"

I didn't mean to talk louder, I guess, yell at her. But I never got an explanation. Sure I was mad when I found out, but come on she couldn't just easily think that I wasn't owed an explanation.

"Sorry, but Clare honestly, I had to find out from Dallas that I wasn't the father when you should have told me! I get I'm not the "love of your life" or even someone you saw a future with. At the very least I thought I was your friend. You should have told me when you found out. How long have you known anyways?"

Clare stepped down the stairs before sitting and patting the spot next to her. I let out a breath of anger, but sat down anyways. It was chilly out, but not so bad that I knew we wouldn't get sick the next day.

"You know I care about you. I had just found out about two days before you found out. I didn't know what to do. I felt so stupid for thinking I wasn't further along than I thought. That I never considered Eli, because the last time we were together was a month before you & me, I never had any symptoms, and wasn't really worried about my period missing because after I went into remission they never really came back regularly. I didn't know what to do when I found out. I knew I had to tell you, trust me; I was never going to not tell you. But you already did so much for me, and you even ended your relationship for me. I screwed up your whole life, and made you believe you had a baby on the way. I just hated the fact that I was going to take that away, because I know how happy you were becoming and how helpful you were. Now it was all gone, and I just couldn't figure out how to tell you."

Well, that made me feel like a jerk. I was still hurt and upset, but I should've known Clare wouldn't have hid it from me forever. I knew everyone needs time processing anything really. I watched her eyes face the trees across the street. Over the year, I learned how to figure out Clare and what she was feeling. It was something I picked up with spending so much time with her during student counsel.

"I get it. I'm still not happy, but I'll live. Just it sucks Clare. You know that, and I know that. I don't have a future anymore. I think I wanted this baby mainly because it gave me that at least. Everyone's leaving and has all these future plans, and I'm stuck."

"Drew, you are freer than ever now. What about your plans with Dallas? You could also always try applying for colleges, or do what Jake did. Take some time off, and go traveling. Go save the world like he is doing right now…supposedly. I still think it's an excuse to go party and smoke with Mo."

I laughed at the memory of my old friends, but it just made me sadder.

"I'm not smart for university. Plus university ruins people and relationships. .."

"You can't let what happened with Bianca ruin things for you Drew. You have to get back out there in the world and look for a future for yourself. Not Bianca, not your mom, and not me."

"It's not only Bianca. Look at your beloved Eli. He changed when he went to NYU, and it resulted in him cheating on you."

"No need for a reminder Drew. Believe me I know he's changed."

She looked down for a moment, and she rubbed her eyes. Those tears that we're there earlier, well they were falling out now. I had gotten better at consoling Clare when she cried, so I draped my arm around her and let her cry for as long as she would allow herself too.

"I'm sorry. It's just…everything is so complicated and messed up now. Eli and I are a mess, and he's trying to be there and be a part of his life. I'm just scared though. Honestly, with you I felt a little better and secure about this whole parenting thing. I know I shouldn't think this, but I'm truly just worried he'll go bad again, leave, or do something. Then it will be over, and I'll have a child on my own."

I couldn't believe I was doing this.

"Clare, trust me Eli was never mad at you. The things he did and said to you, well anyone who wasn't in love, wouldn't care that much. It was only a matter of time before you and he started talking again. This mix up was just a jump faster for you two. He loves you, you know that, and we both know you will never not be in love with him. Just give it time."

I was lying my ass off to her. Truly, I didn't know if Eli could be a good person, from the time I met Clare all I saw was Clare crying twice because of him and him cheating on her right after her cancer went into remission. But I still saw that hope and love that was there when he was with her during her chemotherapy. They still have a spark in their hearts for the other. I thought I could have Clare, at a point in time, but she wasn't mine.

"Thanks Drew."

"No problem Edwards."

Then it was silent. No words were said, and even though I had more questions rather than answers. I kept it silent. I was just happy that we were talking again, because my life would truly suck without her in it.

"Listen Drew, you are going to do something amazing with your life after high school. So many will still say you haven't changed, but you have. You've been through so much this year, like you said, and it made you a better person. You love kids, politics, and even though you won't admit it, you love school more than you did before."

"Funny, Clare."

She chuckled a little bit after I bumped my shoulder into hers.

"I'm serious. I see you being a principal or working as a teacher for gym or in administration of politics. You have the contacts, don't you?"

"Yeah I do."

"Then make something of them. Don't rely on anyone other than yourself and believe in yourself. I do."

I smiled at Clare, and looked at her as she put her hand on her stomach and grimaced a bit.

"Kicking again?"

"Yep…"

"You know Clare you are kind of my best friend. I mean it, and even though we failed miserably at being together. I would like to try to be friends again…if anything at all."

Clare looked up with one of her signature smiles, but it soon faded when she glanced back at her house. I turned and saw a sweep of a curtain. Eli.

"I should probably go back inside."

She stood up and I followed suit. We both stared at each other for a while, and then I had to go for it. I went in and hugged her. She put her arms around me as much as she could, and we stayed like that for a while. If Eli wasn't around, if Bianca never happened, if Adam was still here, if there was no pregnancy, or really any amount of what ifs. Then maybe we could have had a real shot at being together, but we didn't and truly that was okay. Because just having her for the time I had, well that was good enough. We let go and I gave her a kiss on her cheek, the first and last.

"But about my offer on the whole friends thing?"

"We will never stop being friends."

"Good."

She walked up and opened the front door to see an Eli standing there. I nodded my head up at him and went into my car and left.


	3. Chapter 3

The Final Act:

Hey Guys! I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am to you all who are reading this story. It's an idea and I ran with it. Anyways. Yes this was a eclare and clew fanfic, but I couldn't help but give my otp a happy ending. So here you go. Enjoy! Also reviews would be lovely!

* * *

><p>PART 3: CLARE'S P.O.V ( Love Me Like You Do)<p>

It literally felt like it had been forever since I last talked to Drew, and I never expected to have a conversation with him, like the one we just had. I thought we would have ill words, yelling, tears, and just so much pain that it would hurt us to the core. But it wasn't like that.

I watched his car drive away, fully aware of who and what was behind me.

"Hey."

"Hey.."

I looked up at Eli, and he was still the most beautiful person I had the pleasure of witnessing. His jaw line was set in a firm line at the moment, his curls were sticking out in places, the two moles on the back of his neck, the envy of green in his eyes, and his lips placed in his casual lopsided smirk. He reminded me of a greek statue at times. I hoped our son had his physical appearance.

"Lets go talk somewhere."

"Won't your mom get mad?"

"No she won't mind. Let's walk."

I smiled up at him, which he recieved graciously, and took his hand in mine. It was still there. The fire igniting inside my skin whenever I touched him.

Talking with Drew was different from all the talks I had with Eli. We always ended up fighting, and I would cry or he would storm out. One of us was either hurting or angry. We never had the best track record when it came to communication. That was evident in the very beginning, before we were ever in a relationship. Adam always told us that was our worst flaw as a couple, but I think he was wrong. Our flaws are so much worse than miscommunication now. Somehow we got so far away from everything we set out to not be. The on and off again couple, the drama, the lies, the cheating, long distance, and the passion we had. Every single trope you could think off, seen on tv, read about in books, heard stories from other relationships...we made every single one. It may all have came from us not talking to each other, but now we had new flaws. Flaws that could make or break us.

"We're here."

I looked up to see the famous bench that had become such a part of our relationship. Where we first worked together, where we last talked before our first break up, where we met when he first came back home from New York to visit. So much time has passed by us in our short lives. You would never think of a quarter of the stuff we went through actually happened.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

He looked worried, and usually I would be as well. But for the first time since the beginning of senior year, I wasn't. I smiled up at him, and looked up at the stars surrounding us.

"You know the greeks had it right about soulmates."

"What do you mean?"

" In Greek Mythology, Plato has Aristophanes tell a story of soulmates. Basically a person is born with double sets of everything, 2 heads, 2 hearts, 4 arms, and 4 legs."

" Sounds like a bad sci-fi movie."

"It is said that Zeus separated the bodies in half, because he wanted to punish them. So for a long time, those humans that were separated, were in complete dispair. They were lost without their other half, you could say. They longed to find their missing half. The other human who completed them. Plato would say that when they found each other, if they were lucky, there was this unspoken understanding between them, and they would just lie together and be happy because to them that was the greatest joy they were given."

"Sounds romantic, but I don't get it...what does that have to do with us?"

I was suddenly facing Eli, and I could see he was getting inpatient. His eyes were in full panic mode, searching my own for something to lead him to understand what I was saying. I pushed him to sit down on the bench and quietly sat next to him. Never once losing our eye contact.

"Do you still believe we're soulmates? Do you believe that somehow we can work this out and move on to a better chapter of our fairytale? That someway we can make it through all the lies, the cheating, and Drew...?"

I was holding his face in my hands, making him listen to me, making him look at me. I could understand his speechlessness. I was never the one to talk about soulmates, fairytales, and old myths. I was Clare Edwards, the religious, insanely logical, and the person who always ran away when things changed, or didn't work into my plans. I was never really sure about Eli and mine's relationship, and I always looked for love elsewhere when it didn't work out. I tried to force my love for Jake to be real, tried to force myself to forget Eli and move on with Drew, and accepted dates from guys I was never interested in. Just to make myself believe that I could very well move on from Eli, and the idea that true love exists.

"Eli..?"

"Of course I do. Clare I love you, and I can't change that and no matter what I won't be able to stop."

I smiled, and I leaned in and kiss him briefly on the lips. I could feel him trying for more, but we weren't there yet.

"There's a but, Eli."

"What do you mean?"

"We have a child on the way, we have to work out what we are going to do with school and jobs and living situations. We may both believe in soulmates, destiny, and true love. But we still have a long way before achieving that."

"You're right."

I looked up at him and I saw the way his eyes were shining, and how the moonlight above us bounced off his eyes giving them the shine.

"I kissed another boy. I slept with another boy. I had feelings for another boy while I was with you."

His current state of happiness shifted into uneasiness and for a second I waited. I waited as he closed his eyes, and started breathing deep breaths.

"I lied to you. I thought the baby was someone else's and not yours. I didn't tell you right away I was pregnant, I betrayed our love for something I honestly thought was real at the time, I broke it off over voicemail, and I broke your heart."

His eyes opened to reveal the tears under his eyelashes. I looked down at my hands. I didn't realize I had begun crying for the third time that night. I felt Eli shift in his place, then I felt his arms encircling me.

"I cheated on you. I lied to you. I betrayed you. I hated you. I left you. I moved on and left you. I called you a whore. I yelled at you. I punched Drew. I let him get in between us. I messed up. I became a jerk to you. I left you feeling alone. I broke your heart and trust."

And that was it for the next couple of minutes. We were both were crying tears, quietly together, and alone at the same time. Crying over the mistakes we made on our own part, and for the pain that we caused the other. Truth was, we shouldn't have lasted this long. We were both heaven and hell together, and we both hold so much passion and fire for the other. We go to extremes together, and we can love greatly or hate strongly. There was no in between.

Which is why Drew was so different from Eli. With Drew, it was simple, easy, fun, and a bit out there, that if we were in another world, in some alternate universe and I wasn't in love with Eli or Eli didn't excist, that we might have made it. But I fell in love at 15 years old to this boy hugging me, to the boy who lost so much, who fought a battle everyday of his own, who never loved anyone but me, who fought for me, and knew when to let go at times. I was in love with the boy who gave me his headphones, who wrote a play, who dedicated a published work of his to me, who got better to be better for me, who came in a horse drawn carriage as prince charming, who rigged the voting so we would be prom royelty, who left his job to be with me at an hospital all summer, and who still to this day makes my heart beat like nothing else in the world matters.

"Let's try again...at being friends."

I felt the shakes slow and then another type of shake happened. He nodded at my suggestion. It wasn't a we will never be together again, but a let's restart. Let's fix us, and prepare for the baby, so that when we were ready. We would know we were ready.

"I can't stop you from going back to New York, Eli and I can't stop you from being friends with her, and I can't..."

"It doesn't matter. New York is my dream, but its also yours. And I can't do another year away from you. It's not even just you anymore, its him as well now. New York will always be there, but right now I can't go back in the fall. I have to stay and be where my heart and family is. As for her, you don't have to worry about that anymore. She's a good person, but she's not you. She'll never be you."

I smiled at the ground, but it was for only a second. I was reminded of Drew, and the only real thing he wanted for us. A friendship.

"I want Drew and you to be friends. I want you to not lose the person that helped you this year when I was gone. It's not fair of me to ask you to give up on that."

I was shocked to say, I wasn't sure what to say. He was willing to give up his friendship with Lenore, and wanted me to be friends with Drew still.

"The two of you would actually get along pretty well."

"I'm sure we will...later."

"We should go."

"Okay."

(BACK AT CLARE'S HOUSE)

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

Eli and I walked to my house, in slience, up to the point where we said our goodbyes for the night.

"Okay, I'll be here around 3pm, after my shift. So sorry if I make you throw up with the smell of coffee and old bagels."

I laughed, I hadn't been to the dot since I told Eli I was pregnant, and when I went back it was like a brand new type of rotten egg smell. It didn't sit right with me.

"Goodnight Eli."

I watched him turn around, and I stood there watching him. It was a werid feeling to see him walk away, and for the first time not feel sad. It was a hopeful sight. I sight that made me realize that no number of times we walk away from each other. No amount of fights, heartaches, scream matches, cries, and overall pain we caused each other. We would always come back to the other, and that was rare. It was rare and that meant it was special.

"ELI!"

I saw him turn around, and I ran to meet him. He started walking a bit faster and when I caught up with him, I fell into his arms.

"Hey, what's the matter? You shouldn't be running Clare, remember you're pregnant!"

"I know. I just had to do..."

He was staring at me with the same emotion his eyes held when we were back at the frostival. When I just needed to.

"This."

And just like that I kissed him fully and with as much love, need, and want I could muster up to come out of my lips. I didn't want to restart. I didn't want to wait. I wanted him, and I knew now, I wanted only him. He was the other half of me, the other heart I was missing, and the reason I'm still here today. It took him awhile, and I began to pull away, but he pulled my lips back with as much force, passion, and love I had for him. We stood there, and his hands reached to the nape of my neck and pulled on the tiny curls back there, and I moved my hands up his chest to his neck. This kiss was different from all the other kisses we ever had, and there was a lot. As he kept pouring himself onto me through his lips, I felt happier. Like I finally knew what I was doing, what I wanted, and what I needed to do for us to make it. Because after this, there was no going back. This baby was going to have his parents together, and for a long time. After a couple of minutes, we pulled away, and his eyes were still closed. I loved that I still could have such a effect on him.

"Clare?"

I heard my mom call me from the front steps of my house.

"I'll call you tomorrow."

"What about tonight?"

I smirked, and quickly gave him one last peck on his lips before walking back to my house. I turned around and saw Eli with a smile I never saw before. A smile that matched mine right about now. We may have the worst track record when it comes to our relationship, but no matter what, I will keep saying yes to him.

"There you are. You and Eli were gone for a while."

"We're fine mom, we just went for a walk."

"Well let's get you inside."


End file.
